An Avenging Connection
by Sara K M
Summary: Angry over Neal's death, Emma seeks to kill the woman who killed him. The voice of experience, Killian Jones talks her out of pursuing the Dark Side.


**An Avenging Connection**

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**Once Upon a Time.**_

**Some of you who have read my chapter 23 in "Thicker than Water Part II" will recognize this scene. All I did was reformat it so it would work as a no – Curse AU, so Captain Swan fans who weren't reading that story could enjoy the scene.**

Emma Swan still couldn't believe Neal Cassidy was dead. She had only just _found_ him again recently, after they'd been separated for over ten years. Her son, Henry, was overjoyed that he could finally get to know his father. But a couple of months ago, a woman named Tamara had come to Storybrooke with he own agenda. She'd posed herself as Neal's _fiancée _when all she really wanted to do was destroy their town. So she'd shot Neal and set the place on fire. Most of the people were able to get out, and they eventually put the fire out. But Neal couldn't move because he'd already been shot. He and his brother, Robert, had died in the blast.

Emma had several people tell her that they thought she still loved Neal after they'd found each other again. She thought it was ridiculous at the time. It had been over _ten years_ since they'd been a couple, for goodness sakes! They did have a son together, but that didn't mean they had to get back together.

_But as Neal struggled to get out of the flames despite being shot, she knew the truth. Emma still loved him. Why else would she have kept their yellow bug all this time? "I love you Neal!" she had shouted to him, as she tried to help him out of the fire. Then she coughed on the smoke she'd just inhaled._

"_I love you, too!" he told her. "But you have to go, Emma, or you'll die of smoke inhalation. You can't let Henry grow up like we did, without any parents at all!_" _Emma's heart swelled with even more love for Neal, as she listened to him put his son's happiness over his life._

_But she still wasn't' about to let Neal die. Emma thought to herself as she continued to try to pull Neal out of the fire. She couldn't just leave him there! She'd only just realized how much she still loved him. But then she coughed on the smoke again, noticing it was getting worse. Neal was right. If she continued to try to drag him out, they both would probably die. How could she do that to her son? There was nothing worse than growing up without parents. She and Neal both knew that. So Emma left Neal and crawled out to safety, crying the entire time._

Emma was done crying over Neal now. What she _couldn't_ get over, was her anger. She was _angry_ at so many people and things right now. She was angry at Neal for leaving her for ten years and then showing up for a couple of months before he died. She was angry at herself for not realizing she loved Neal earlier. She was angry at Neal for not listening to her about Tamara (Emma always knew there was something his fiancée was keeping from him). She was angry at the fire for killing Neal before she could get him to the hospital for his gunshot wound. She was angry at the firefighters, for not being able to put out the fire before Neal died. Most of all, she was angry at Tamara for using Neal and then killing him.

For the next couple of months, Emma tried to make her anger go away, but she only found more things to be angry about. And the worst part about this situation was there was no one to _channel _her anger onto. She was a police officer, so she was used to catching the bad guy. It always helped her deal with her anger in the past. But who could she do that with in this case? The fire? The firefighters, for not saving Neal? As angry as she was at them, she knew it wasn't really their fault.

Finally, one day it occurred to Emma _exactly _who was to blame for Neal's death. The witch who had shot him and set the fire in the first place. Tamara. Where was she anyway? After she'd set the fire, everyone was too busy trying to get to safety and contain the fire to worry about the arsonist. And of course, by the time they were ready to look for the witch of a woman, she'd disappeared.

Emma _had_ to find this Tamara person. She'd been a bail bonds person before she'd become a police officer, after all. She'd be able to find her relatively quickly if she concentrated. Within a week and a half, Emma had her tracked her down to Connecticut, just outside Harford. The only thing was, how would she get there? Her Bug had been destroyed in the Storybrooke fire, after all. Maybe she could hitch – hike.

But before she could put her plan into action, she had a hearing to testify at, for a drug offender. Well, it was her job, after all. Well she was at the courthouse, she thought she recognized someone she knew.

So she looked at the person more closely and realized who it was. Killian Jones . In an orange jumpsuit?! Well, he probably didn't really need her help then. That guy could take care of himself. Killian Jones had been a trouble – maker in Storybrooke last year. He'd tried to kill Neal's brother, Robert Gold, because Robert had killed the woman Killian had loved (she was actually Robert's ex – wife). Fortunately, Emma was able to separate the two men before that happened.

Then Emma thought a little further. Maybe he didn't need her help but she might be able to use _his_. Did he still have his sailboat? How quickly could it get her to Connecticut? A lot faster than hitch – hiking, she was sure. And it wouldn't cost her anything, either. Or it shouldn't, if Killian knew what was good for him. After all, he knew what it was like to want revenge. Revenge? Emma paused for a minute. Was that what she was doing? All she'd planned on doing was finding and apprehending Tamara. Still, the more Emma thought about it, the more killing Tamara sounded like a good idea. Shout her right in the heart, just like she'd done to Emma when she'd killed Neal. That would be true justice, wouldn't it?

Anyway, Killian would bring her to Connecticut in his sailboat. Especially if…Emma smiled slyly as an idea came to her. What if she promised to get him out of whatever trouble he was in with the law? She was pretty sure she could do it, too if she used her connections as a police officer _and_ some of her and Neal's old shady connections.

Neal. Emma grinded her teeth at the thought of how he'd never help her again. Tamara had to pay. And she needed a ride to Connecticut.

Emma put down her magazine and marched over to Killian . "Hello. I need to talk to you."

Killian 's eyes lit up. "Well, hello Miss Swan," Killian drawled. He looked at her uniform, which of course she had to wear because of the hearing she had to testify at. "You've done well for yourself That outfit suits you." He looked her up and down, showing his appreciation. "Of course, I think you'd look even better without it."

Emma sighed. Killian had always made obnoxious comments about his attraction to her, and apparently wearing an orange jumpsuit didn't change that. It wasn't important, though. Getting to Connecticut was important. She took him to a secluded corner, so they wouldn't be overheard. She immediately launched into an explanation, not wanting to give Killian any time to comment on what _else _could be done in secluded corners.

"Listen, I need a ride to Connecticut as soon as possible. Do you still have your sailboat? We could take that.

"I might." Killian narrowed his eyes. "What's in it for me?"

"I'll use my connections to get you out of whatever problems you're in today."

Killian eyebrows shot up. "Oh really? Well, yes I still have my boat. I'd love to take a trip with you, Swan." He paused. "But what's in Connecticut?"

"Who. The word is who," Emma replied, firmly, looking him straight in the eye. She wanted to make sure he knew how serious she was about this. "And the answer is Tamara," she spat the witch's name out. "The woman who burned Storybrooke," she explained, hoping to jog his memory. "And more importantly, the woman who killed Neal. I just found out she's in Connecticut, about an hour away from Harford. I need you to take me down there in your ship before she leaves again."

"Sounds lovely."

Emma narrowed her eyes. "This isn't a vacation. I'm going to shoot her, right in the heart." Emma patted her gun that she still had strapped to her hip.

Killian 's eyebrows shot up even further. "'Fraid I can't help you then. Murder isn't a road you want to go down, Swan."

Emma's mouth dropped open. No? After all the work he'd done to kill Gold, she would have thought he'd understand. Funny, at the time, Emma thought Killian 's vengeance was extreme and uncalled for, but now she knew _exactly_ why he was so determined to kill his enemy. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "This isn't up for discussion, okay? I _am going_ to kill Tamara. She deserves to die. I would have thought this would be something you, of all people would understand."

Killian grabbed Emma's arms on his shoulders. "It's because of what I did that I know this isn't what you should do, Swan. Why do you think I'm here, anyway? I got arrested for smuggling and piracy only a couple of weeks after Storybrooke disappeared. This is my trial date. Me? A bloody pirate getting caught for piracy? On a boat like the Jolly Roger? How do you think _that _could happen?"

Emma shrugged. "I don't know."

"It was because I was getting sloppy, Swan. Because now that Robert Gold is dead, I don't have a purpose anymore. I don't know what to do with my life. I decided I didn't want to die, but I don't have any reason to live either. That's what vengeance does. It consumes you, until it's your only bloody reason for living. Is that what you want?"

Emma shook her head. "No, but I'm not going to spend as long as you did planning to kill Tamara. I'll go down to Connecticut, shoot her, and then it'll be done. Then I can go back to being Henry's mother again."

Killian sighed. "And what if she's not there by the time you get there? She could be leaving right now, as we speak. Are you going to continue to try to find her after that? And even if you did kill her, how do you plan on being a mother to your lad after that?"

Emma hesitated for a second, then replied, "Tamara deserves to die. She ruined a lot of lives, not just Neal's. It's a justified."

Killian nodded again. "I thought that, too, once. But even Gold had people who loved him. You taught me that and Neal, and Henry. They wanted him to live. Does Tamara have a mother somewhere? A father? Brothers? Sisters? Do they deserve to know someone shot her without a trial? Could _you_ get caught and be thrown in one of those prisons, like I was? Then how would you be a mother to your lad?"

Emma looked at the floor. She'd been so busy channeling her anger on Tamara, she didn't think of all the facts. He was right. What was she thinking? She was a police officer! She was supposed to stop people from killing, not do it herself. Plus, she'd promised herself she'd do everything she could to make sure Henry stayed with his family from now on. If she killed Tamara, that would never happen. "Yeah, your right. I guess I wasn't thinking."

Killian smiled sadly. "I liked Neal too, Swan. He could've been a brother to me, at one time. And I'm sorry he's gone. But from one would-be avenger to another…. I don't want you to walk down the road I did. It isn't a fun road. You _have_ a reason for living, and a purpose. You have your son, and your family. Let that be the most important thing in your life, not doing away with enemies."

Emma nodded. "Okay, I have a hearing to testify at anyway. That's why I'm here," she commented as she began walking away.

"Then take your leave," Killian said with a mock bow. As Emma turned to go, she heard him call out, "Although when I get out of this place, I'd love to take you for a ride."

Emma ignored him.

"Hearing – Bishop vs. State of Maine," the Judge called. Emma walked into the courtroom. Wise advice from Killian Jones . Who'd have thought?

**I know a lot of CS fans will be telling me to continue this, because Emma and Killian didn't end up a couple at the end of the story, or even share a kiss. But I have to tell you **_**I won't**_** be continuing it.**

**There are several reasons why.**

**I'm in the middle of a large multi – chapter story right now ("Thicker than Water Part II") and I don't want to be distracted from that.**

**I'm not really a fan of exclusively Captain Swan stories. I don't mind CS mixed with Charming family and a little Snowing. But stories that focus on only Captain Swan aren't for me.**

**I will tell you, however that this CS story **_**will**_** be continued in "Thicker than Water Part II" eventually. If you don't mind waiting and reading a lot of Charming Family and Snowing as well, then you are more than welcome to read that story. (I will tell you what I tell all my readers for that story. Before you read it, make sure your familiar with the original "Thicker than Water" written by La Lisboa. My story begins a few days after that one and assumes you're familiar with what happened in the original.)**

**If on the other hand, you are a CS fan who isn't fond of Snowing, than you can imagine your own way Emma and Killian become a couple in this reality. You could even write one yourself, for all I care. **


End file.
